For librarians, teachers, students, and readers everywhere, a new translation of The Canterbury Tales is an event. Mark Flowers has written an extended review, which offers an overview of the options available and a clear idea of what makes this one different. As this is a selected collection, click over to the Norton website for [...]

Investigative journalist Nellie Bly joins the ranks of real-life characters out to solve mysteries in this historical, the sequel to Carol McCleary’s debut novel, The Alchemy of Murder (Forge, 2010). I do love the publisher description of her first book: “Nellie Bly…teams up with science fiction genius Jules Verne, the notorious wit and outrageous rogue Oscar [...]

Novels set in rural America are hardly ubiquitous in YA literature. Between dystopian trilogies, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and Gossip Girls readalikes, sometimes I wonder if we are leaving the real world behind. This debut is set in rural Wisconsin, in the not too distant past. As Connie’s review makes clear, The Bird Sisters is [...]

Carrie Vaughn’s new superhero novel is the ﻿epitome of teen appeal — just plain fun. If you want to give it a try, the first chapter is available on the author’s website. I expect teens will enjoy the game of picking out references to genre titles and characters. It reminds me of John Connolly’s Alex Award-winning The Book [...]

Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce series stands out for the author’s ability to make each new book at least as good as the one before. I find it interesting that the Barnes & Noble review categorizes this book as Young Adult Fiction. The author of the review recognizes that the series is tricky to label, that [...]

This is a Words without Borders publication. Words without Borders “translates, publishes, and promotes contemporary international literature.” Every month they publish an online magazine. They also partner with publishers to release print anthologies, of which this is one. Tablet & Pen is quite a thick & heavy tome, and may appear intimidating to teen readers. But [...]

I am not going to pretend to know about urban street culture beyond what I observe simply living in New York City, but I can add to the review below by emphasizing that Street Knowledge is an incredibly handsome book. The cover is thick and multi-dimensional, the title a cutout. It is printed on quality [...]

Paul Elwork’s debut novel is loosely based on the Fox sisters, three late 19th-century women who contributed to the beginning of the spiritualism movement. Here the hoax is perpetrated by two young teenagers who, like the Fox sisters, use rappings to fool their “clients” into believing in communications from the dead. A spooky novel of [...]

According to Kristin Hannah, Night Road was inspired by her son’s senior year of high school (see her blog for more in her own words). If so, that must have been a year rife with anxiety! The reader is privy to two primary perspectives, one adult, one teen, leading up to and recovering from a tragic [...]

Happy National Poetry Month! I am excited to kick it off with a review of Kevin Young’s Ardency, a fascinating way to discover, explore, and contemplate the Amistad incident. Imagine what a high school student might take away from this literary treatment compared to reading a page or two in a history book. Here, layers [...]

About Adult Books 4 Teens

The Adult Books 4 Teens blog was created to help librarians who work with teenagers find the best books published for the adult market that have appeal to teen readers. We provide recommendations and reviews, commentary and news about titles in all genres and formats: narrative nonfiction, poetry, graphic novels, thrillers and mysteries, memoirs, fantasy and science fiction, contemporary realism, arts and crafts and more.

With very few exceptions, only positive reviews will be published, so the appearance of a review should be considered a recommendation.

Angela Carstensen is Head Librarian at Convent of the Sacred Heart, a
> K-12 private girls school in New York City. Contact her via Twitter @AngeReads.

Mark Flowers is the Young Adult Librarian at John F. Kennedy Library in Vallejo, CA, a branch of the Solano County Library. Contact him via Twitter @droogmark.